In almost all other tennis careers, players tend to have the benefit of making their first mistakes in relative silence. The first steps on a new surface usually take place in the anonymity of the ITF circuit or in the back courts of a lower level tour event – they learn, they grow, and then eventually they thrive on their terms.
It is fair to say that such avenues are no longer open to Emma Raducanu. On Friday she was charged with finding her feet on clay as the No 1 player for her country against the dominant nation in the sport. Moments earlier, her teammate, Harriet Dart, had managed to win just one game in the opening rubber. The pressure was undeniable.
